5 Health-Conscious Crock Pot Recipes Your Kids Will Actually Eat

Picky eaters? Kids who need more veggies? Busy, stressed-out parents who require simple, made-in-advance recipes? If you happen to fall into any of these categories, here are five health-conscious crock pot recipes your kids will crave.

Yes, we’re still mad at “This is Us” for making us second-guess using our fabulous crock pots; but come on, folks, this is 2018, where the electrical circuitry is top-notch and the recipes are healthy!

If you’re like we are and equate fall with “slow cooker season” maybe even more than a time for abundant decorative gourds, you’re in good company. Here are some recipes that your kids will love — and you’ll love, too, because they’re delicious and health-conscious.

Crock Pot Recipes for Kids

What kid out there doesn’t love a Sloppy Joe? Well this recipetackles the traditional comfort food using a whole new approach, substituting quinoa and chicken for the typical ground beef. With enough sauce (you can use light BBQ variety for an even healthier take than traditional ketchup), your kids may not even know the difference! And to add to the beauty: There’s also a shredded carrot inside! Be still our beating, slow-cooking hearts!

Taco Tuesday just got a whole lot easier — just add a crock pot! This recipeuses just the basics and leaves the toppings to your imagination. Kids love buffets, so this is like buffet-lite. And even better still, you can use the chicken for tacos, taco salad, burritos, quesadillas or whatever your little one prefers. Make sure you offer up plenty of veggies on the side. Now watch your kids choose their own (healthy taco) adventure.

Who knew you could make a tasty, tempting and health-conscious lemon chicken in a slow cooker? We did — with the help of this blogger, who has the recipe for a melt-in-your-mouth chicken that leaves your house smelling fresh and citrusy. Here are seven simple ingredients that will leave your kids shouting “Seconds, please!”

Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, kale — this slow cooker vegetable stew has all the ingredients to make parents swoon and kids salivate! We really appreciate the tips offered by this blogger, who suggests using an immersion blender to whip up a pureed version perfect for picky palates. Regardless, if your kids like it pureed or chunky, this recipe packs a healthy wallop of nutrients.

Breakfast for dinner? We love it too, and here’s a recipe for a Slow Cooker Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal using steel-cut oats, vanilla-flavored almond milk, chia seeds and natural peanut butter that will leave your kids wishing for this dish on snowy mornings or evenings. This recipe is epic. Promise.